FORGET the notion of teaming curry up with lager or spicy white wines. The Curry Club has come up with a new "ideal" drinking partner for Indian curries -- sherry.

Pat Chapman, founder of the club, claims the sweeter the better, and suggests pale cream sherries such as Croft Original and Tio Pepe are perfect to go with favourite dishes such as dhansak, chicken tikka masala and korma.

Although I remain unconvinced -- having tried the unusual combination without too much success -- it did make me realise that there may be more to sherry than meets the eye.

The much maligned drink is often thought of as being a tipple for sweet old ladies or visiting elderly aunties at Christmas. But with an ever increasing number of sherries on the market, there are plenty of varieties of the fortified wine worth trying.

It is an excellent aperitif, its dry varieties go wonderfully with smoked or seafoods, while the sweet ones are great with desserts or even poured over ice cream. And when no longer fresh, lob it into the frying pan for an ideal stir-fry sauce.

MARKS and Spencer's Extra Dry Fino and Extra Sweet Rich Cream are priced at £4.99 each and between them do a good job of showing just what variety there is in the world of sherry. The Extra Dry Fino is surprisingly crisp. It has a distinct sharp citrus zest to it and is bone dry -- a perfect alternative for those who enjoy dry, white wine. The Extra Sweet Rich Cream was more of a traditional sherry to me. Rich in colour and taste, it is a fruity, sweet drink with a taste of raisin and caramel. Full of body it makes a delicious, warming change to sip and unwind with in the evening.

MORRISON'S Pale Cream Sherry has a more refined subtle sweetness. There is a certain citrus flavour underlying the smooth rich sweet taste. It is surprisingly refreshing and very easy to drink.

THE Manzanilla Sherry from Asda is £3.87. It is a dry, crisp pale sherry which is extremely refreshing when enjoyed chilled. Again, full of flavour and zest, it is a drink which could be a wonderful substitute for white wine. It has a slightly spicy, almost salty taste that would complement seafood. The Asda Pale Cream Sherry, again £3.87, is a dark amber rich sweet drink which full of body is a more traditional sherry. It is very enjoyable to sip on without food accompaniment, but does go well with desserts. Wonderfully rich and creamy with a subtle sense of fruit -- and nut.

Aldi has two new sherries on the market. Fletcher's Medium-Dry Sherry and Fletcher's Cream Sherry are both priced £3.29. The Medium-Dry variety is the colour of oiled teak. It is a rich warming drink and, although it has a sweet taste, there is an underlying kick to it that gives it a balanced finish. Best enjoyed chilled, it should suit just about all tastes. The Cream Sherry is a powerful mahogany-coloured ,full-bodied drink. It has a velvet texture and is reminiscent of custard mixed with wonderful rich nuts and spices. This is a rather decadent drink -- almost like indulging in chocolate. The suggestion it could be poured over vanilla ice cream for a touch of luxury made me shudder at the extravagance of pouring so much of it at one go.

MORE than 60 family-run vineyards in France have opened their doors to tourists through a new UK website. Holidaymakers can take a virtual tour of the vineyards before they leave home and choose from more than 120 wine appellations from Anjou to Valanay at winedrive.com

Burgundy has been added to lists from Champagne, the Loire and Bordeaux, doubling the website's choice of wines. Wine lovers who call the vineyards before they arrive will be met by the owners, invited to taste and learn about the history of the wines. The website, winedrive.com, also gives up-to-date news of roadworks and delays, plus routes from the Channel ports to the wine regions, tourist information and on-line ferry booking.

The website aims to provide access to wines offering not just good taste and value, but vineyards with a history setting them apart from any of the bottles found on the high street back home.

THE website Wineshop.it is an online wine shop run by an Italian company trading exclusively on the Internet. The website was founded in 1999 by a group of wine industry professionals and has become a reputable point of reference for lovers of the Italian wine. Further details about the website and the company behind it are from www.wineshop.it/eng/Chisiamo.htm.